Mounting apparatus for fan

ABSTRACT

A mounting apparatus includes a fixing board defining a vent, two fixing members, and first and second plates. Two through holes are defined in an upper portion of the fixing board at opposite sides of the vent. Upper portions of the fixing members extend through the through holes and engage in upper portions of a fan. Opposite ends of a top of the first plate are pivotably connected to upper portions of the fixing members, and opposite ends of a top of the second plate are pivotably connected to lower portions of the fixing members. The first and second plates are maintained to be parallel to the fixing board by gravitational force, to cover the vent. When the fan blows air towards the first and second plates, the first and second plates are capable of rotating away from the fan to be angled from the fixing board.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for mounting fans.

2. Description of Related Art

Fans are mounted in servers to dissipate heat generated by electronicelements of the servers. When some fans are broken down, airflow of theother fans may backflow through the broken fans, which is undesirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments.Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a first embodiment of amounting apparatus for fixing a plurality of fans.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an assembled, isometric view of a second embodiment of amounting apparatus for fixing a plurality of fans, wherein the mountingapparatus includes two fixing members.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing one of the fixing members of FIG. 4,but viewed from another perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated byway of example and not by way of limitation. It should be noted thatreferences to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are notnecessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at leastone.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a mounting apparatus for fixinga fan 20. The mounting apparatus includes a rack 10, two fixing members30, a first plate 40, and a second plate 50.

The fan 20 includes a rectangular end board 21 defining four fixingholes 213 in four corners.

The rack 10 includes a bottom board 12 and a fixing board 14perpendicularly extending up from a rear side of the bottom board 12.The fixing board 14 defines a vent 141, two first through holes 143 atopposite ends of a top side of the vent 141, two second through holes145 at opposite ends of a bottom side of the vent 141, and two latchingholes 147 above the corresponding first through holes 143.

Each fixing member 30 includes an installing portion 31 and a fastener35. The installing portion 31 includes a connecting piece 312 definingan installation hole 311, two arms 314 extending forward perpendicularlyfrom opposite sides of the connecting piece 312, and a bar 316 extendingdown from a center of a bottom side of the connecting piece 312. Aprojection 313 extends up and rearward from a top side of the connectingpiece 312 and above the installation hole 311. Each arm 314 defines afirst pivot hole 315. The bar 316 defines a second pivot hole 317. Inthe embodiment, the fastener 35 is a screw.

Two first pins 43 extend out from opposite ends of a top side of thefirst plate 40.

Two second pins 53 extend out from opposite ends of a top side of thesecond plate 50.

In assembly, the end board 21 contacts a rear side of the fixing board14 opposite to the bottom board 12, and aligns with the vent 141. Thefixing holes 213 align with the first through holes 143 and the secondthrough holes 145. The projections 313 are engaged in the latching holes147. Two fasteners 35 extend through the installation holes 311, thecorresponding first through holes 143, and then are engaged in two upperfixing holes 213, thereby fixing the fan 20 to the fixing board 14. Inanother embodiment, another two fasteners 35 are capable of extendingthrough the second through holes 145 and then are engaged in the othertwo fixing holes 213.

The first pins 43 are pivotably inserted into the first pivot holes 315of the installation portions 31 adjacent to the top side of vent 141,thereby pivotably fixing the first plate 40 to the fixing board 14. Thesecond pins 53 are pivotably inserted into the second pivot holes 317 ofthe installation portions 31 adjacent to the bottom side of the vent141, thereby pivotably fixing the second plate 50 to the fixing board 14and below the first plate 40. The first plate 40 and the second plate 50are parallel to the fixing board 14 when covering the vent 141.

When the fan 20 operates, airflow of the fan 20 will move the firstplate 40 and the second plate 50 forward, maintaining the first plate 40and the second plate 50 in an angle relative to the fixing board 14, toallow the airflow to blow through the vent 141.

When the fan 20 stops operating, the first plate 40 and the second plate50 will fall down by force of gravity until parallel to the fixing board14, to cover the vent 141, thereby preventing airflow from the other fanfrom reflowing through the vent 141.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show that in a second embodiment, a mounting apparatus isprovided for fixing the fan 20 of the first embodiment. The mountingapparatus includes a rack 60, two fixing members 70, and a first plate40 and a second plate 50 same with the first embodiment.

The rack 60 includes a bottom board 62 and a fixing board 64perpendicularly extending up from a rear side of the bottom board 62.The fixing board 64 defines a vent 641, two first through holes 643 atupper portions of opposite sides of the vent 641, two second throughholes 645 at lower portions of the opposite sides of the vent 641, andtwo latching holes 648 at centers of the opposite sides of the vent 641.Two positioning holes 647 are defined in the fixing board 64, andrespectively communicate with a top and a bottom of each first throughhole 643.

Each fixing member 70 includes a head 71, two hooks 73 extending from arear side of the head 71, and a bar 75 extending down from the head 71.The head 71 defines a first pivot hole 712. Two projections 714 protrudefrom the rear side of the head 71, respectively above and below thehooks 73. A protrusion 751 extends rearward from a bottom end of the bar75. The bar 75 defines a second pivot hole 753.

In assembly, the end board 21 contacts the rear side of the fixing board64 opposite to the bottom board 62, and aligns with the vent 641. Thefixing holes 213 align with the first through holes 643 and the secondthrough holes 645. The hooks 73 are extended through the first throughholes 643 and the upper fixing holes 213, and then are engaged with therear side of the end board 21, thereby fixing the fan 20 to the fixingboard 14. The projections 714 are engaged in the correspondingpositioning holes 647. The protrusions 751 are engaged in the latchingholes 648. In another embodiment, another two fasteners 35 are capableof extending through the second through holes 145 and then are engagedin the other two fixing holes 213.

The first pins 43 are pivotably inserted into the first pivot holes 712of the fixing members 70, thereby pivotably fixing the first plate 40 tothe fixing board 64. The second pins 53 are pivotably inserted into thesecond pivot holes 753 of the fixing members 70, thereby pivotablyfixing the second plate 50 to the fixing board 64 and below the firstplate 40.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and various changes may bemade thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of thedescription or sacrificing all of their material advantages, theexamples hereinbefore described merely being exemplary embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mounting apparatus for fixing a fan having anend board defining two fixing holes in an upper portion, comprising: afixing board defining a vent and two first through holes above the vent;two fixing members; wherein upper portions of the fixing members extendthrough the first through holes and then are to be engaged in the fixingholes of the fan; a first plate, wherein opposite ends of a top side ofthe first plate are pivotably inserted into the upper portions of thefixing members; and a second plate; wherein opposite ends of a top sideof the second plate are pivotably inserted into lower portions of thefixing members; wherein the first plate and the second plate aremaintained to be parallel to the fixing board by force of gravity tocover the vent when the fan is not in operation, and are pivoted awayfrom the fixing board in an angle by airflow of the fan.
 2. The mountingapparatus of claim 1, wherein each fixing member includes aninstallation portion and a fastener, the fastener extends through anupper portion of the installation portion and the corresponding firstthrough hole to be engaged in the corresponding fixing hole, theopposite ends of the top side of the first plate are pivotably insertedinto the upper portions of the installation portion, the opposite endsof the top side of the second plate are pivotably inserted into lowerportions of the installation portion.
 3. The mounting apparatus of claim2, wherein each installation portion comprises a connecting piece and abar extending down from the connecting piece, an arm extends out from aside of the connecting piece adjacent to the other installation portion,the opposite ends of the top side of the first plate are pivotablyinserted into the arms, the opposite ends of the top side of the secondplate are pivotably inserted into bottom ends of the bars.
 4. Themounting apparatus of claim 3, wherein each arm defines a first pivothole, two first pins extend out from the opposite ends of the top sideof the first plate to be pivotably inserted into the first pivot holes.5. The mounting apparatus of claim 3, wherein each bar defines a secondpivot hole, two second pins extend out from the opposite ends of the topside of the second plate to be pivotably inserted into the second pivotholes.
 6. The mounting apparatus of claim 3, wherein a latching hole isdefined in the fixing board and above each first through hole, aprojection extends from each connecting piece to be engaged in acorresponding one of the latching holes.
 7. The mounting apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein each fixing member comprises two hooks extending from arear side of an upper portion of the fixing member, the hooks extendthrough the first through holes and the fixing holes of the fan, andthen are engaged with a rear side of the end board.
 8. The mountingapparatus of claim 7, wherein each fixing member comprises a head and abar extending down from the head, the hooks of each fixing member extendrearward from the head of the fixing member, the opposite ends of thetop side of the first plate are pivotably inserted into the heads, theopposite ends of the top side of the second plate are pivotably insertedinto bottom ends of the bars.
 9. The mounting apparatus of claim 8,wherein each head defines a first pivot hole, two first pins extend outfrom the opposite ends of the top side of the first plate to bepivotably inserted into the first pivot holes.
 10. The mountingapparatus of claim 8, wherein each bar defines a second pivot hole inthe bottom end, two second pins extend out from opposite ends of the topside of the second plate to be pivotably inserted into the second pivotholes.
 11. The mounting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fixing boarddefines two positioning holes respectively communicating with a top anda bottom of each first through hole, two projections protrude from therear side of each head to engage in the corresponding positioning holes.12. The mounting apparatus of claim 8, wherein two latching holes aredefined in the fixing board at opposite sides of the vent, a protrusionextends rearward from the bottom end of each bar to be engaged in acorresponding one of the latching holes.